Dear South Hadley friend:

Our next town election will be on Monday, April 4, 2011. I am a candidate for re-election to the Selectboard. I’d like to tell you briefly about my first term and what I see for the future.

I was honored by the voters of South Hadley to be elected three years ago. In my first term, I have concentrated on learning more about town government and working in a productive way with the other four Selectboard members.

The year of 2010 was the busiest year since I was elected. In January of last year, the Selectboard hired a new Town Administrator and two new Selectboard members were elected, both of whom have contributed very well to our work. I believe the Selectboard is now functioning well.

In April, I was elected Vice-Chair of the Selectboard and I have served as one of the Selectboard’s representatives to Mount Holyoke College.

I initiated our South Hadley's suicide prevention coalition in April and our Localocracy in July. In December, I worked with Mount Holyoke College on a successful Youth Commission fundraiser and I created our Selectboard Facebook page. I believe that these kind of efforts to strengthen our community and improve our communications are as important as balancing our budget each year.

I expect that 2011 will be as busy as 2010. South Hadley will continue to face limited state aid, which represents a significant part of our budget. Therefore, we must find other sources of new revenue. Our good new Economic Development Commission will help. However, we have virtually no control over state aid, and new economic development will probably only come slowly.

Yet there is much that is within our control. I was pleased to help lead the successful effort to adopt our local option meals tax.  The Selectboard has recently received two independent reports, one from the consulting firm of Municipal Resources of Meredith, NH, and a second from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.

Both documents make excellent recommendations to improve our town government. I believe that we should adopt most or all of the suggestions in those reports. If we do, we can make our government more efficient and more economical and yet at the same time able to serve our residents better.

I would look forward to working for three more years with the other good members of the Selectboard, our Town Administrator, and all the employees of the town to improve our government and serve the residents our community. I welcome your suggestions. Please contact me anytime at 413-532-5792 or by email at BobJudge@BobJudge.com.

I ask for your support for my campaign and your vote in the town election on Monday, April 4. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Robert G. Judge

Committee to Elect Robert Judge
P.O. Box 695
South Hadley MA 01075

 

The Daily Hampshire Gazette, Tuesday, April 8, 2008
"S. Hadley Nixes CPA, Turns Out Incumbent," by Stephen C. Hill

The Republican, Tuesday, April 8, 2008
"Charter Panel Scores Big Win," by Sandra E. Constantine

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